Anxiety is a normal reaction to stressful situations, both good and bad. While there are a number of underlying root causes of anxiety, many anxiety disorders are not likely due to a single cause. Feelings of anxiety are often the result of a combination of different factors, with some people being more prone to anxiety than others. According to the Mayo Clinic, genetics, brain chemicals and an individual's environment may all play a part.
Childhood Anxiety
Anxiety can occur in children who experience a single or ongoing stressful event. This is especially true for children who are the victims of some form of abuse. Children who suffer severe or chronic illnesses can also suffer from anxiety, as can those children who experience the loss of one or both of parents. Traumatic experiences that occur in childhood may have lasting effects that carry over into adulthood. Likewise, individuals who suffer anxiety disorders in childhood often continue to suffer anxiety as adults. Study results examined in the Feb.6, 2004 issue of "Psychiatric News" indicate that children and adolescents who suffer anxiety disorders are at greater risk of developing anxiety and depression as adults.
Life Changing Events
Life changing events such as divorce, the loss of a job or the death of a loved one are known for triggering temporary anxiety. However, in some people, the anxiety associated with one or more life changing events may eventually lead to chronic anxiety that occurs when the body is under constant stress. Even positive life changing events such as getting married or purchasing a new home can be stressful and cause anxiety in some people.
Menopause
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states that both anxiety and depression are common symptoms of menopause, as wide fluctuations in hormone levels can contribute to stress and mood changes. During the years when a woman experiences normal menstrual cycles, estrogen is high at the start of the cycle. The hormone progesterone then increases during the second half of a woman's menstrual cycle. However, when a woman is in perimenopause, progesterone levels remain low, and this can add to a woman's feelings of anxiety. When hormones aren't to blame, some menopausal women experience anxiety at the thought of growing older.
Illness
The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago points out that the impact some illnesses have on the body often causes anxiety. While it's normal to feel stress while dealing with a debilitating disease or other chronic or disabling health problem, individuals tend to respond differently to stress. Anxiety may be a response to a particular situation; however, some people suffer from generalized anxiety, which can affect different areas of their daily lives. The Merck Manual lists heart disease, respiratory disorders, head injuries and hyperthyroidism as some of the common health conditions that can cause anxiety. Cancer and other debilitating illnesses are known for bringing on anxiety as well.
Stresses of Daily Life
The Mental Health Association of Westchester, New York, reports that nearly 16 percent of American adults suffer anxiety disorders each year with the stresses of daily life often being a major contributing factor. For individuals who suffer from anxiety disorders, the fear and worry they feel much of the time can be overwhelming. Working, raising a family or caring for a chronically ill child or an aging parent who is in poor health are just some of the situations people face that can bring about severe emotional and physical stresses.
Medications
Merck Pharmaceuticals cautions that some prescription medications like those prescribed to treat depression and other mental disorders can actually bring on anxiety by causing changes in chemicals in the brain and hormones in the body. Other medications may induce anxiety when you stop taking the drugs. Using illegal drugs such as cocaine can cause anxiety, as can the use of over-the-counter weight loss products, which contain caffeine.
